


An Unspoken Life

by Melonbread96



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-08-09 03:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7785556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melonbread96/pseuds/Melonbread96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story that has never been told, until now</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Unspoken Life

"Mama, mama."

A child was found clutching the deceased corpse of his mother. The group of soldiers didn't pay any attention. Except for one of them, that finally crouched down. This man spoke calmly and tried to reassure the boy. He didn't want to let go of his mother. Those tiny fists clenched tightly on the ends of her blouse. "I'm sorry, you can't stay here. I bet your hungry, come here," said the soldier as a reassuring hand appeared. Even though the man looked scary he had a smile. A hand hesitantly reached out, then he was carried over to a camp. It was obvious that the child lost everything. The streets was littered with death and destruction. His whole family murdered in a single night. These were casualties of war. 

He didn't have a choice of what his life would be. The soldier took care of him for while. Their encampment was small but they shared their rations. This child didn't speak much at first. No one could blame a frightened child. When he started talking they couldn't seem to shut him up. He'd talk about the games he played with the other children. What his mom would do during those times. It seemed that his father wasn't in the picture. He did however had some siblings. They had all passed away during the massacre. These soldiers were part of a group called Overwatch. Most of them tried to be tough rugged men. They would show off and wanted to get back into action. His savior was patient and had children of his own. He was a military man to feed his family. The child felt slightly lucky despite losing his former life. 

"Gabriel."

"I'm coming!"

"Calm down Gabriel, you have so much energy. I have to tell you something. The rest of the troops are coming this way, that's when we'll have to part ways. I'm still a soldier, Gabriel, I have a duty as one. Your job is to be reunited with your relatives and keep being a child."

"I'm scared."

The man hugged the lost child. It had to be this way. This person couldn't watch a child and serve his country. It took another night for the rest of Overwatch to arrive. Gabriel was scared as he was walked over to some healers. They checked his vitals and he was fine. Maybe a little undernourished from living in poverty. He was young and it could change quickly. Gabriel was only seven years old. A child that saw too much. It sadly didn't stop there. There was no other family to watch over him. Overwatch decided to take him in. He was trained mentally and physically. At age ten he managed to get himself into lot's of trouble. Within the facility he managed to break a boy's nose and a couple teeth. Gabriel didn't look like the other boys, he was darker skinned and scrawny. 

The training became even more difficult. This however didn't really bother him. He didn't really have any goals. They just taught him to be loyal to Overwatch. Gabriel only knew to train and figure out strategic attacks. Of course they didn't go into actual battle. These children were taught how to fight and kill. It wasn't like they actually entered real war. This was only through books and basic hand to hand combat. Since Gabriel had nothing but turmoil in his mind, he let it out with anger. The loss of having everything taken from him. There was no one willing to get close. The bullying was always there. It only lessened when he decided to get into fights. There was brutal punishments. Every little bruise on his skin made him more determined. He was going to become something.

Gabriel grew to be sixteen when he was enlisted. He was preparing himself for battle. This is what he lived for. All his training set him to this moment. The knowledge of learning English came in handy. Gabriel's native tongue was Spanish. His classmates had made fun of his speech. He had to learn another language and it was difficult. That was in the past as he tried to keep his concentration. A gun was placed into his hands. Gabriel had held one many times in his life. There was training in the shooting range. It was supervised but the act should've been illegal. Overwatch did some things that weren't known in public knowledge. Most of all, the soldiers didn't know about it. This was strictly a secret and to Gabriel it was just his life. He was raised to be a killer. 

The lines had formed as everyone got into position. Most of the men acted like it was nothing. Their training had made them very cocky. Gabriel knew the repercussions of war. The fear he felt as a child when hearing gun fire. This wasn't a joke and he was taking it serious. Unlike some of the men excited for battle, he wasn't a fool to believe that a war was fun. It was dangerous and ruined people's lives. They were hauled onto a jeep. This thing could probably hold about seven men in the back. The driver was their commander. He was in charge of their lives. Gabriel never worked with this man before. It made him even more nervous. The crew was his age and were involved in the same training. This might as well be a suicide mission. 

Only two men he didn't recognize were in charge of the crew. They were probably in their twenties and he hoped they had some experience. A road bump startled them. "Easy Gabriel, you act like you've seen a ghost," joked one of them as the jeep rocked. He was feeling worried and a little anxious. They had eventually gotten to their destination. The commander got them to attention. There job was to protect a post. Periodically, they would patrol and switch men. Even at night they had to be on look for the enemy. There was a lot of coverage for the enemy to sneak up on them. This didn't sit well with Gabriel. He did what he was told anyways. It was a shitty job but he was an expendable soldier. Most of them didn't want the night patrol. 

Gabriel volunteered immediately. He had a feeling the enemy would prefer to attack in the shadows. A week went by and nothing happened. Most of them were being sloppy. He had to admit that it was contagious. Being only sixteen he decided to rough house as well. It was normal and relaxing. They didn't have to remember that they were in war. Nightfall came as Gabriel got into patrol. His commander was exhausted and called it a night. He was supposed to be on watch with him. The cold sucked as he wandered around. It made him alert but he expected nothing. A tree branch snapped. He jumped but thought it was the night jitters. His instincts were telling him something, there was movement in the woods. 

"I must be hearing things. It's nothing get a hold of yourself Gabriel."

A gunshot rang out that caused ringing in his ears. It narrowly missed his head. Gabriel signaled the arrival of the enemy. The loud siren woke everyone up. Nobody had the experience for this much carnage, there was gun fire in all directions. Men his own age were screaming for help, before he saw a bullet shoot through their skulls. Gabriel did everything he was trained for. He got into position and used a wall for cover. His commander was blown into pieces by a grenade. Their second in command somewhere in the ruckus. The ringing in his ears still didn't let up. If someone was screaming for him he couldn't hear it. Someone ran at him with a knife. They were struggling as he was shoved roughly. His back hit and the air rushed out of his lungs. 

Gabriel got stabbed in places as his assailant tried to disarm him. He grabbed his own knife and scrapped it against the person's neck. This was a lucky strike and saved his life. The adrenaline was seeping in as he didn't know where he was hurt. Then he heard someone screaming, "fall back!" There was a slight limp in his step. Gabriel was running low on ammo and so was most of his crew. What was left of the men, had fled out in the woods. He didn't even know where he was going. There was moments he was hiding and heard footsteps. It could be enemy or ally, since Gabriel couldn't tell he stayed in hiding. Even if it was an ally it might shoot at him. Nobody knew if he was friendly either. He had to find a way back to base. The problem was that, he was scared and had lost the rest. 

After wandering for ages he managed to get to a post. His injuries had lead him back to the Overwatch main headquarters. This didn't last long as his injuries weren't that severe. He was lead right back out into battle. Gabriel might've been young and experienced the worst the world had to offer. It was the only life he knew about. When he hit twenty they placed him into Blackwatch. This was a more hidden division of Overwatch. They were supposed to be black ops and were given the worst missions. Gabriel saw it as an excuse to do more illegal actions. He wasn't a man on the records anyways. If anything were to happen, his death would be easily erased from existence. 

In a way he felt numb and became silent. Gabriel only spoke when it was absolutely necessary. This was a fine example of a cooperative soldier. He killed men that could have been evil, or just got in the way of the organization. His line of work was the dirtiest compared to over divisions of Overwatch. Gabriel was like a ghost that never existed. There was other men and they easily died. He wanted his place in the ranks. Overwatch owed him so much for all his service. Deep down he wanted some form of approval. Nothing was really given to him except for more death. Then he was being transferred out of Blackwatch. This might be the break that he has been always waiting for. 

The first official fleet he was placed in and with random faces. His life of servitude had aged him. Gabriel would appear in his thirties even though he was mid twenties. Some of these men were barely in combat. They didn't see half the carnage he was involved with. Their commander was a friendly but a strict person, that got them in line as they followed orders. His dream was to have his position. A commander of his own fleet. Gabriel wanted to be in charge for once. He was being lead all his life, there was only one thing he wanted. Overwatch had forced him into being a soldier. He wasn't even given a choice to be anything else. It's not like he knew about any other life. This had to be what he was meant for. 

"So what's your name? Mine is Jack Morrison. Just call me Jack since Morrison is a little too formal."

He scanned his eyes over this soldier. If they were forced to work together, then it couldn't harm him to get along. There was little room for social interactions. Their commander answered for him. The man noticed that Gabriel was struggling with his words. Gabriel felt thankful as he got to know the rest of his crew. They were training together at first. It's possible that the higher ranks thought it would be best. He knew real combat was nothing like this. Everyone would talk to each other and got along really fast. Gabriel still stuck to the shadows. The only person that tried to interact with him was Jack. This person was the exact opposite of him. A friendly demeanor and always trying to encourage Gabriel to talk. 

They were called in sooner than expected. Everyone knew each other for less than a week. Their leader was a man named Reinhardt. He had many years of experience on his side. The man was treated like a veteran. Though he was placed in a different division than himself. Gabriel didn't know the name but it didn't matter to him. Reinhardt was a war hero and he was an unknown soldier. It's possible that they fought the same number of battles. Even despite Reinhardt being so much older than him. He placed on his green camo as did the rest. Gabriel grabbed his favored duo pistols. They weren't normal but he had gotten them from a corpse. It wasn't like the dead needed them anymore. This wasn't military issued but nobody told on him. 

The group fought well together. It went a little too successful. What he noticed was that people were starting to notice them. They were the undefeated team of soldiers. This was also being noticed by Overwatch. It was after a rough battle and Gabriel was in the clinic. His leg had been shot but no lasting injuries. Jack was the first to visit him. They had strangely became friends. It was unspoken but they felt it. The country boy smiled at Gabriel while it made him feel warm inside. He liked being around someone for once. Once the bullet was out and his leg patched up. Gabriel was ready to get on his feet. The doctor told him that he needed to rest in a few days. Unlike his old self of the past years, he didn't always follow orders. Laying in the sick bay didn't sound appealing. Gabriel got up and started to leave. The nurse was a little panicked. 

Jack laughed and watched Gabriel walk away. His friend had to catch up with him. This wasn't difficult since Gabriel was injured. The limp made his mood sour. He wanted to get back into the fight. The silence in between them only made him anxious. Then Jack suggested a game of poker. All the men would gather and gamble up some of their stuff. They did have access to cash. It was more fun to buy something and put that up as a bet. Gabriel didn't think it was a good idea. This seemed stupid but he did it anyways. Jack could convince him easily, while someone smuggled in some beers. There was round of poker and some drunk men. Gabriel had drank beer before. It wasn't like he was that inexperienced with everything. 

The men could easily smuggle anything into the base. Their training was enough to sneak past the guards. Gabriel forgot about his injured leg. It wasn't hard to beat these men. There was no rules so a little cheating couldn't hurt. If only Jack knew, he wouldn't have pulled him into the game otherwise. Everyone kept losing to him and he let them win only a few times. The extra books and pack of cigarettes were his interest. Things like porno mags and chips were just there as extra spoils. Gabriel eventually got enough and called it quits. He stashed his earnings into a bag. Jack followed him and decided to stop as well. His friend helped himself to a chocolate cupcake. This didn't bother him since he wasn't going to eat them all. 

"You know Gab, this isn't too bad."

"What isn't?"

"Being in this crew. The guys are cool and we get to hang out."

"I guess so."

Gabriel shrugged as he noticed Jack staring at the corner of his eye. Then his friend tackled him onto the bed. It caught him off guard and the smell of booze wafted into his nostrils. "Get off me you drunk," growled Gabriel but his friend just laughed to himself, "I'm not that drunk." This actually didn't feel to uncomfortable. Jack placed his head on his shoulder. It didn't bother him when it should. Gabriel acted like it did for show. His friend finally got back up and he missed the contact. He wanted to lace his fingers into Jack's hair. The blonde color made it look so soft. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him, so it was a good time to sleep it off. Jack complained but let him fall back to sleep. 

They didn't go anywhere without each other. After a fight, sometimes they would just relax. In the back of the post they got up early. The sunset was nice and the air refreshing. This was so much better than his life in Blackwatch. That was until he was enlisted back into it. He had the news when they were perched up top. Their feet dangling off the edge roof. His commander shouted for him. There was a message and he knew what the transfer was about. It didn't say Blackwatch since it was top secret. Gabriel knew what it was as he scrunched up the paper. His friend looked concerned and wanted to know what it said. Their eyes met and he felt so lost. He thought he had caught his break. Only to have Overwatch take it all from him. 

"I have to go into another fleet. They decided that I'm needed again."

"What do you mean? You're needed here with us. How can they just do this?"

With a bitter laugh Gabriel walked past him. He headed back down and got ready. His bags were being packed and goodbye wasn't something he usually did. Caring wasn't part of his plans. Gabriel just wanted to be recognized. He wanted the position that would lead him into a good career. More than anything he wanted to be an actual person. Not some weapon that Overwatch had created. Gabriel looked at his friendly sadly. It didn't take no time at all for Jack to hug him. The rest of his crew said goodbye. He however didn't say anything. There was so many emotions going on. Gabriel was so mad at the world. They take everything and always left him with nothing. 

His old duty hadn't improved at all. He had done things in the past that didn't bother him before. Gabriel had friends and his own conscious. It's like Jack had made him see more clearly. He always knew it was a shit job. Blackwatch made him into a monster. When he was forced to clear out people. It included innocent lives, women and children as it didn't matter to Overwatch. He was feeling bile rise up before he let it down. A soldier wasn't supposed to have emotions. Gabriel was supposed to only follow orders. A few more years in this hell before he was being transferred. Maybe Blackwatch should have never let him go. Keep him brained washed and unsocialized. He walked into a building that he's never been in before. 

It was cleaner and looked more professional. The soldiers were running down the field. A jeep had driven him and some other men. He was ordered to one of the camps. Gabriel did as he was told. There was men already at their bunks. Most of them unpacking as he watched. They recognized him and even went up to greet him. He was polite but he wanted to know where his best friend was. It's possible he wasn't here, while he was wondering the man himself walked in. Gabriel felt relieved and wanted to speak to him. Instead Jack gave the order for them to stand to attention. He was their leading officer for their next mission. His stomach dropped as his heart speed up. So they put him at most vile job while Morrison got promoted. The all American image standing before him. Their eyes meet only for a moment. 

That's when he decided he had enough of Overwatch. When everyone went to bed he snuck out. Jack had his own camp set up close by. He got into the building while he stayed cautious. His friend looked up while cleaning his gun. Visibly nervous since Jack was leading for the first time. "We need to leave. We have to get out of here Jack," said Gabriel in a hurried tone, "Why? What's wrong?" He wanted to get them out of Overwatch. This place should be shut down and eliminated. The problem was that Jack had a whole different life. Overwatch had improved his so much. He went from a nobody and viewed as a dumb redneck. Now he was a commander of his own fleet. Gabriel tried to explain why they had to leave. This wasn't something Jack would give up easily. 

"You don't even know what you're doing. They just shove a position into your hands, that shouldn't even be yours. If anything I should be leading this crew. Why do you think they gave it to you?" 

"Is that what's this is about? They gave me this position because I'm the best candidate. I know you might be jealous Gab. Though I'm commander because I know how to lead my men. You clearly don't have experience with this."

This made him grind his teeth. He wanted to argue that they had made Jack commander, only because it would improve their image. It's also the fact that Gabriel wasn't on record. He was just someone placed into their crew as expendable. There could have been a way to word things better. It hit a sore spot for him. Gabriel was a bit jealous of Jack's position. Everything was given to his friend while he worked to gain nothing. He swung and then they started to fight. They both started to land blows. Jack upset that Gabriel was being petty and not congratulating his success. Gabriel tried to tell him something only to be hit with accusations. Both of them breathing hard until Gabriel pushed him off. His face with a black eye and his mouth bloodied. 

"You'll regret being part of their schemes, Jack. You're just a pathetic pawn to them," said Gabriel as he stormed off. Jack thought his friend was just upset and needed to cool off. Though he didn't come back and even escaped the base. Overwatch would search for him as a wanted man. They would use the name Gabriel Reyes as a criminal. It didn't matter that he served his time there. This was a secret that needed to be hidden. Talon got a hint of this news. They had found Gabriel before anyone else could find him. He was given a position of commander. It was the recognition he wanted. What he didn't know was that he was being used again. There was an explosive device on his person. A suicide mission was given to him. 

Gabriel only knew war and how to murder other men. He wanted to get back at Overwatch for everything. They made him into a killer without anything to his name. No loved ones or a chance for normal life. He was meant to die in battle. That's why he was put into Blackwatch when he was needed. This would be a repeated cycle. His crew was three other people. A small one but he would take his chances. The building was easily infiltrated. Gabriel had his men make a diversion. He wanted to be remembered as the man that sacrificed his life. It was his destiny to stop Overwatch. They couldn't continue making men like himself, that forced children to become expendable soldiers. The bomb was set but he accepted his face. It clearly consumed him and the shock kicked in. 

His body felt like it was floating. Some reason he still wanted to live. It didn't matter that he made a sacrifice. There was toxic chemicals inside the building. This had fused with his former self. Gabriel's body wouldn't even be recognized as human from the ash. He started to awake to pain, his body decaying and then healing. Gabriel wasn't sure what he was. The debris was all over his naked skin. It got into his open wound and making him shudder in pain. He wanted to get away as his body vaporized from the sight. This made him feel confused and looked at his appearance. This had to be some kind of mistake. It was like he was a walking corpse. His tan skin was now a sickly pale. Almost like his body had a mind of his own, it would vaporize without his consent. 

This was painful and he couldn't control it well enough. He needed some help. Talon would be the only place that would take him back. His former life was gone. More than anything he thought Jack was gone as well. This had to be a chance for a clean start. Overwatch had more bases to destroy and the people with it. His only regret was killing his best friend in attempt to save others. Gabriel had to sacrifice everything to gain a peace of mind. The guilt however still lingered. He felt like he was too young and stupid. If only he could go back and change things. Maybe instead of letting his pride get in the way. Jack might've been convinced to leave with him. They could start a new life together. Gabriel decided he'd rather want revenge. His own jealousy consumed him, with the fact that, Jack could easily obtain everything he wanted. He was such a fool and he'd live with his mistakes. 

"I'm sorry Jack."

**Author's Note:**

> It's a different version of Overwatch that I made up, don't judge to harshly. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
